My Kid Could Paint That

Not Your Average Female Portrait
Ways in which you wouldn't normally view a woman
Curated by Lily Johnston

Wayne Thiebaud, Supine Woman, 1963

If you type "supine woman" into the google search bar, this won't be the first image to pop up, unfortunately. On the border of modern and contemporary art, Thiebaud's Supine Woman evokes an uncomfortable feeling to walk away from the painting. From a distance, I thought this was an exhibit of a woman through a window lying on her back. But up close, it is just an extraordinary painting.

It is also extraordinarily sexual. Just as before in Young Woman on the Bank of the Seine, the subject's legs lay slightly ajar. At first it just seems like a normal woman staring innocently at the clouds. Well, while that may be, her skirt also sits just above the knee, her legs open, and most importantly, she lies passively. However, when exploring the definition of Supine, it claims it means "displaying no interest or animation." Now this can go two ways. One) Men would be outraged because this painting may provoke, but yet she has no interest. Two) She has physically no animation on her face, and as she fell, her body happened to contort this way. I tend to choose the first option, however, for its comedic qualities.

This seems like your average passive female painting waiting for the man to come, but her facial expression and muscles complete devoid of movement or emotion seem shocking. Even though this is a preferred position, the passiveness completely takes away from that.

Not Your Average Female Portrait
Ways in which you wouldn't normally view a woman
Curated by Lily Johnston

Gustave Courbet, Young Women on the Bank of the Seine, 1857

What a relaxing day in the park. The river, nice dresses, a picnic, sunlight, flowers. One would say this is the perfect place for a man to join in right? Wrong. I am pretty sure the company of a man is not what they are looking for, if you catch my drift...

Most settings for portraits of women are with large groups of nude females, like Turkish Bath by Ingres, or in settings of despair by the death of a man, The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons by David. Rarely are paintings provocative towards the Sunday afternoon in Sunday's best with a female partner. That is not a scene typically painted by painters. Because it is not typically something the public agrees upon or finds morally acceptable, especially for the 1800s.

If you don't see my point yet, lets take this another step further, shall we? The woman in the back wearing orange holds her bouquet of flowers close to her body in a gentle motion with a relaxed smirk on her face. The other woman on the other hand looks completely worn out and knocked out from what may have been an eventful afternoon (wink). Her legs slightly ajar and her dress lifted slightly up. The boat in the distance suggests there well planned out afternoon hidden among the trees. Both of their faces seem quite pleased.

By now the painting might not look so innocent as a nice day in the park. But if we agree that men look to sell innocence or sex, they have definitely hit the mark, however a little off.

For the sole purpose of enjoyment, listen to this song while looking at this painting. Caution: It may produce a giggle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhFbBXXxLTg

Not Your Average Female Portrait
Ways in which you wouldn't normally view a woman
Curated by Lily Johnston

Edward Hopper, Hotel Room, 1931

Honestly disturbing, Edward Hopper's Hotel Room, leaves the viewer in remorse for a women's hotel room full of shame. What would usually be thought of as a happy arrival at the St. Regis, seems more Motel 8 after a rough night on the streets. Head down, hands on knees, note in hand, our protagonist or maybe even anti-hero, reads a note perplexed at how a lover left her with nothing but the one piece of clothing she wears on her back.

The olives, oranges and auburns paint the room sullen like a sour cocktail party.  The horizontals push back and draw towards the black window shade, but the white walls push up in eerie light that reminisces of some hope. Her hat sits untouched, just waiting to be worn to the nearby flapper joint. But we see the sad woman behind doors, hiding from her average life. A normal painting would show her out and about or in this room in a different set of company, instead of reading the note that changed her life, most probably for the worse.

Everything that matters hides in the shade; her face, her legs (for dancing), her torso and the sofa (for relaxing). The only parts of the room lit mirror her normal sad life; her thighs (self-explanatory) and her forearms (holding the note). Leading a seemingly sad life, this woman hides in the confounds of her hotel room, shielding her emotions from the public. Hopper obviously has a point. Not all happy people are indeed happy.

Not Your Average Female Portrait
Ways in which you wouldn't normally view a woman
Curated by Lily Johnston

Jean- Honore Fragonard, Stolen Kiss, 1780s

Frivolous. Forbidden. Flippant.

All of these F words are not something one would associate with the average painted female. Fragonard however, had something else in mind for his heroines. He liked these F words. His women often had a sensual air that was in favor of female empowerment. They held just as much as the scandal as the man. In Stolen Kiss, by Fragonard, even though it seems the gentleman steals his woman away from her scene, she encourages him. She wants him just as badly. However worried her face may seem, the want is more. She fears her love being found out by the women occupying the next room. Her body leans into the doorway, towards her lover. Our heroine wants a life full of scandal, not that of the proper puppet in one of Moliere's "Salon des Femmes."

While this paintings is for the benefit of male, because he gets his way, it is not anything forceful. He has a sweet demeanor, almost that of a young boy. His boy like presence shows her power over him to manipulate him how she pleases. What has now turned into a cougar complex, strips the man from any power he was seeking to hold. By now, I hope you see the conventional stealing of a cheek idea is completely subversive. The viewer sees what they want to see. In other words, the man finds pleasure in the painting how he wants or deems truthful, that does not mean it's correct.

Don't get me wrong though, I may not always be correct in my assumptions either, but I hope you see this painting differently now.

Not Your Average Female Portrait
Ways in which you wouldn't normally view a woman
Curated by Lily Johnston

Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World,  1948

Here, Andrew Wyeth tells the story of his neighbor weakened by the effects of polio. Wyeth claims that "she was limited but by no means physically." For Wyteh, the challenge "was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless." He paid special attention to detail and wanted to place the viewer squarely in her world. At a first glimpse, what appears to be a photograph, the message of mentally pushing through one's disabilities isn't all that evident. In my case, I experienced the painting more of a complete desolation and frustration. She strives for a home, but may not be able to reach it, or she has been left outside to fend for herself and can not seem to figure life out. How strange. Previous knowledge has taught me that the average painter decided to choose setting perhaps on the more risque side instead of the painful. So while Wyeth depicts the story of girl making her way painfully back to her home, somehow overcoming the odds, the work seems to hold an eerie view that makes the viewer uncomfortable. Like watching a child in pain, a woman in pain and despair has a troubling quality that makes the comforter recoil and come down with a case of empathy. However, in the case of your male-preferred Venus of Urbino, empathy would not be the first thing that comes to mind.

In my collection, Not Your Average Female Portrait, I hope to convey that not all paintings of women are sexual and for the benefit of the man. On the contrary, many fe/male painters seem to draw from female discomfort and thrust it upon the public. However, I also draw from the playful side in which the awkward and questionable acts of painted scenes contribute to my fascination with women in paintings and how the thought came to be illustrated in such uncomfortable ways, or seemingly unnecessary ways.

Progression of Human Form
Curated by Shahzad Aslam

Willem de Kooning, Woman V, 1953

Abstract Expressionism is a movement in art history concerned with high intensity, emotionality, rebelliousness, and dealing with a world in the post-World War II landscape. Woman V by Willem De Kooning encompasses and builds on all the previous movements that came before it ranging from impressionism to surrealism. This interpretation of the human form combines various elements from the movements preceding it to produce a truly modern composition. The mangled face and chaotic application of paint produce a terrifying effect, similar to the gut reactions induced by surrealist and cubist works. In Woman V, the human form is depicted not through anatomical correctness or realism, but purely through emotion intensity. You don’t see the woman necessarily, but you definitely feel her pain and anger. If this were simply another portrait piece, the disturbing and shocking qualities of the piece would be stripped away. The piece would become about some woman rather then embodying the feelings of thousands of women who suffered during World War II.

Progression of Human Form
Curated by Shahzad Aslam

Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2, 1912

Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2 combines the geometrical deconstruction and analysis of the cubists and energy and movement of the futurists forming a movement in art history known as surrealism. The work is a testament to the growth and development of the depiction of human form in paintings. Compared to an Impressionist portrayal of form, Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2 lacks all of the features, colors, and realism of a human figure yet lacks none of the emotion. Moreover, Cubist works, such as Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2,  allow for a deeper, more subconscious connection to paintings. Unlike Impressionist works in which the viewer initially knows the subject matter and can compare it to the real world, such cubist works force the viewer to approach the piece open-mindedly. The works often confuse the viewer and provoke natural instinctive reactions to the works, tapping into the subconscious.

Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1908

Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon completely reinvented and advanced painting as an art form. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon” completely abandons perspective and all previously conceived notions of painting resulting in a work that appears disjointed and chaotic. Picasso moves away from traditional two-dimensional painting and ventures into the world of three dimensions. This form of painting is known as cubism, a genre that attempts to break up, reassemble, and analyze the fundamental qualities of a figure. Furthermore, cubism, as the name suggests, places an emphasis on geometrical shapes and deconstructing the world around us into simpler shapes and forms. Line, contour, color, perspective, lighting, and composition are given up, revolutionizing the way we interact with artwork and perceive the human form.

Progression of Human Form
Curated by Shahzad Aslam

Henri Matisse, Woman with a Hat, 1905

Woman with a Hat by Henri Matisse is an example of another work aimed at rejecting many impressionist notions about painting. Unlike an impressionist piece that aims to be precise and realistic in the depiction of form and figure, fauvist works such as Matisse’s Woman with a Hat are raw, visceral works composed of distinguishing brushstrokes that were characteristically painterly. Like Gauguin, Matisse’s color choices are completely abnormal yet define the painting. The color is put on the canvas in a block like fashion resembling again the geometrical emphasis of the post-impressionists. Fauvism moves away from traditional modes of painting and breaks down many norms that pave the way for artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp.

Progression of Human Form

Progression of Human Form
Curated by Shahzad Aslam

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, On the Terrace, 1881

Renoir, known for glorifying female sensuality and femininity represents an impressionist style painter. For impressionists like Renoir, the beauty of the female form was accentuated through vibrant colors and less emphasis on line and contour unlike the romantics and others that came before them. The vibrancy in On the Terrace is achieved through the separate application of each color of paint and non-mixing or blending of the paints on the canvas. Furthermore, the work is characteristic of the Impressionist period, as it set outdoors with an ordinary mother and daughter as the subject. Additionally, the background and foreground containing the figures are blended seamlessly together creating a snapshot, photographic effect. The forms of the females at this time are still traditional and painted accurately. The differentiating factor in Impressionism comes from the application of the paint through thin, open brush strokes and subject matter rather than a reinvention of the human form.

Progression of Human Form
Curated by Shahzad Aslam

François Boucher, Diana Leaving the Bath, 1742

“Progression of Human Form” is an exhibit designed to study the evolution of the human form and the relevant artistic movements that impacted artist’s interpretations of figure. The seven pieces in the exhibit depict women. Some women are depicted with clothing while others are nude. The exhibit addresses works beginning in the 18th-century Rococo period up to abstract expressionism in the mid twentieth century.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Amedeo Modigliani, Reclining Nude, 1917

"She represents a powerful male fantasy of a highly sexual, supremely confident, alluring female offering endless pleasure and a bit of danger." Book 1, Chapter 1: The Siren, p. 11

Amedeo Modigliani is famous for his large series of nude paintings. These nudes lie on a dark bed cover that intensifies the glow of their skin. Their slender bodies span the width of the canvas. Their hands and feet often remain outside the frame of the image. They usually face the viewer, drawing him in temptingly and alluringly.

There is a key difference between Modigliani's nude paintings and many of those from earlier centures: the issue of context. Many earlier nude paintings had mythological or anecdotal context. Modigliani's paintings do not. In fact, Modigliani even said "The function of art is to struggle against obligation."

Modigliani believed that his paintings need only to depict the subjects he thinks of and not to serve the purpose of representing some separate concept. In his mind, art was not meant to be a slave to outside influences.

As expected, Modigliani's women appear more frank and outwardly provocative.

This painting is an example of how sexual figures in art have been used to create an erotic and inviting feeling for the viewer, while giving off an aura of mysteriousness and uncertainty. It is also remarkable in its depiction of eroticism for its own sake, instead of for representing mythology or literature.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending A Staircase No. 2, 1912

Here Duchamp combines futurism and cubism to create an artwork that depicts the movement of a human (in this case a naked person). Duchamp admitted being influenced by stop-motion photography, most notably Muybridge's Woman Walking Downstairs. Duchamp said, "If a shadow is a two-dimensional projection of the three-dimensional world, then the three-dimensional world as we know it is the projection of the four-dimensional Universe."

Duchamp's unique way of perceiving reality influenced his work on this painting. Instead of simply painting an unclothed woman in the midst of walking down a staircase, he painted a series of frozen moments in time that show a progression of movement using a nude figure constructed from geometric shapes and lines.

The geometry that Duchamp uses to construct the figure conveys its movement as the lines and shapes meet at differing angles. The viewer can also see the downward orientation of the staircase in the foreground and a series of steps in the background that show that the woman is descending the staircase.

Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase is an example of how nude figures in art have been used abstractly to represent human motion and form, rather than any themes or symbols.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Henri Matisse, Blue Nude, 1907

"Androgyny refers to a specific way of joining the 'masculine' and 'feminine' aspects of a single human being."--June Singer

This painting was met with complaints almost immediately. In 1913, during the an exhibition of the infamous "Armory Show" at the Art Institute of Chicago, it was burnt because it offended critics and viewers.  

Matisse painted Blue Nude after one of his sculptures depicting this figure shattered. When looking at the painting, one can see that though the subject is clearly a woman, it has certain male characteristics in its body form. Matisse did say, "What interests me most is neither still life nor landscape: it is the human figure."

According to some, Henri Matisse added the woman's muscular arms, thick neck, large feet, and short hair to create a painting of a subject that had his own form mixed into it.

One can also see a similarity between the subject's form in this painting and primitive art. For example, the large buttocks of the woman in this painting are quite like those of figures in cave paintings. Interestingly, the figures in said cave paintings were men, which further strengthens the notion that this figure is intentionally androgynous.

Using a uniquely constructed naked figure, Matisse managed to create an interesting fusion of Primitivism and Fauvism that became part of his collection of modern art.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Man with Red Drapery, John Singer Sargent, After 1900

"Once I pass'd through a populous city imprinting my brain for future use with its shows, architecture, customs, tradition,
Yet now of all that city I remember only a man I casually met there who detained me for love of me,
Day by day and night by night we were together - all else has long been forgotten by me,
I remember I saw only that man who passionately clung to me,
Again we wander, we love, we separate again,
Again he holds me by the hand, I must not go,
I see him close beside me with silent lips sad and tremulous."
-- Once I pass'd through a populous city, Walt Whitman

Many who argue that John Singer Sargent was gay, point to a series of paintings (which includes this painting) depicting men in sexual poses as clear evidence.

The naked man has only his dark red drape covering him as he poses erotically. The man expresses longing (possibly for a lover), as his arm is thrown upward while his head is tilted far back. The subject may remind viewers of a stage actor. Looking closely at the man's posture, we can see how it is poetic and even theatrical in its depiction of the sadness in being separated from a lover.

Sargent did say "Cultivate an ever-continuous power of observation. Wherever you are, be always ready to make slight notes of postures, groups and incidents. Store up in the mind... a continuous stream of observations from which to make selections later. Above all things get abroad, see the sunlight and everything that is to be seen." He thoroughly follows this idea in Man with Red Drapery, as he creates a very specific figure that shows unhappiness.

This painting is an excellent example of the way that sexual figures in art can be used to create an aura of grief and nostalgia.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Edvard Munch, Death of Marat, 1907

On July 13, 1793, Jean-Paul Marat was murdered by Charlotte Corday, a woman who opposed his political propaganda and decided to act.

There is apparent nudity in this painting, and Munch's use of a sexual theme in which to depict this scene creates both a powerful symbolism of this murder.

Similar to David's Cupid and Psyche, Charlotte Corday is white in color, which seems to reference purity. This could allude to her clarity and her vision. She believed in ridding the country of the unjustified hate and political manipulation that Marat had created.

It is important to note the placement of blood in this painting. There is a large blot of blood stained on the bed where Marat lies dead, which signifies the blood from the wound where Corday stabbed him. However, there is also blood on the very bottom of Corday's legs. It looks as though Corday and Marat have just finished sexual intercourse and that Corday has given birth to the murder.

Corday and Marat's sexual intercourse is a physical union that symbolizes the historical union of these two figures. Without Marat's death, Corday would not have become a famous/infamous historical figure. Without Corday's killing him, Marat would not have become renowned as a saint through the work of Jacques-Louis David, who forever changed Marat's image.

Because of David's painting, Marat became publicized as a martyr for supporters of his political party (which explains Munch's use of a crucifixion pose to depict Marat on his bed). Through the lens of history, Corday and Marat are inseparable, which is symbolized by the proximity of Corday and Marat's right hands.

Through the concepts of physical union and reproduction, Edvard Munch accurately depicts both Corday and Marat's place in history along with what they are remembered by -- the murder, which is effectively their child.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Jacques-Louis David,Cupid and Psyche, 1817

"Cupid prepared to obey the commands of his mother. There are two fountains in Venus's garden, one of sweet waters, the other of bitter. Cupid filled two amber vases, one from each fountain, and suspended them from the top of his quiver, hastened to the chamber of Psyche, whom he found asleep. He shed a few drops from the bitter fountain over her lips, though the sight of her almost moved him to pity; then touched her side with the point of his arrow. At the touch she awoke, and opened eyes upon Cupid (himself invisible), which so startled him that in his confusion he wounded himself with his own arrow. Heedless of his wound, his whole thought now was to repair the mischief he had done, and he poured the balmy drops of joy over all her silken ringlets." Bulfinch's Mythology

After Cupid pierces himself with his own arrow, he falls in love with Psyche. He eventually starts to come stay with his wife only at night times, having to leave immediately at dawn. Cupid is the symbol of love and the meaning of "Psyche" is soul. Therefore, this painting shows the post-physical union of love and the soul.

Both Cupid and Psyche lie naked in bed. Cupid is getting out of bed ,while Psyche is still laying down on her side. The painting accentuates Psyche's hips and curvaceous figure to increase the sensuality of the scene. Her white form and figure represent, ironcially, purity and beauty. Cupid has a smile on his face and the bow pointed toward the ground symbolizes his, ahem, satisfaction. While both subjects of the painting are naked, David uses the positions of Cupid and Psyche's bodies to provide an interesting contrast between innocence/purity and sexual desire/satisfaction.

David's Cupid and Psyche is one work of art that proves that it is not nudity itself that necessarily provides the sexual tone in art, but rather the position and physical orientation of each subject's body.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781

"I was bewildered, and strangely enough, I did not want to hinder him. I suppose it is part of the horrible curse that this happens when his touch is on his victim." Dracula, Bram Stoker

An inundatory combination of horror and seduction, Fuseli's Nightmare portrays a woman trapped and helpless in front of a sex-craving monster. The demon sits atop and crushes her to hold her in place while a devilish horse gazes from the menacingly dark-red curtains. Though she initially fears and resists the demon's advances, the woman eventually submits as the red blanket falls from her bed to the floor. Forced into submission, the woman assumes a revealing position that accentuates her legs and leaves her chest upright as offerings to the hungry demon.

One of the popular interpretations of this painting is its depiction of Henry Fuseli's relationship with Anna Landholdt. Fuseli fell in love with Landholdt, the niece of Johann Lavater (a good friend of his), and intended to marry her. However, Anna Landholdt's father disapproved the proposal to marry his daughter to Fuseli and instead had her married off to a family friend. In a letter to Lavater, Fuseli described a dream he had of Landholdt:

"Last night I had her in bed with me--tossed my bedclothes hugger-mugger--wound my hot and tight-clasped hands about her--fused her body and soul together with my own--poured into her my spirit, breath and strength. Anyone who touches her now commits adultery and incest! She is mine, and I am hers. And have her I will...."

The demon in this painting represents Anna Landholdt's husband who Fuseli imagines as a monsterous figure abusing the woman that is rightfully his. The horse represents Fuseli as he gazes perpetually at the horrific scene and at the woman he can never have.

Fuseli's painting provides interesting contrast to other paintings that depict sensuality, as it portrays this unusual yet fascinating mixture of fear and sex. It is a testament to the thematic flexibility of sex in art.

Technological Effects on Society

Technological Effects on Society
Curated by Austin Krause

George Segal, Fireside Chat, 2007

Technological Effects on Society
Curated by Austin Krause

Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury, Galileo Before the Holy Office, 1855

It was hard to keep up with technology advancing so quickly in the age of Enlightenment. Not only were people introduced to new technologies and critical ways of thinking, but they also were introduced to new lifestyles all together. The scientific revolution ultimately led to the creation scientific communities that were centered around the idea of thinking in a more reasonable manner. Scientists began to ask questions, wondering why it is this way with not evidence to support it.

Galileo was ordered to a stand trial because of this claim. The church and public were worried that he might be right, which would conflict with religion The church wanted to maintain the power it had over civilians. With Galileo claiming that the heliocentric idea is right and having the evidence to prove it, the church was put on the spot. Their authority was in jeopardy. Just by making this claim and the church rejecting it, it was used as proof that the church was against science and new knowledge, and anything else that would conflict with it.

Technological Effects on Society
Curated by Austin Krause

Joseph Wright, The Iron Forge, 1772

Joseph Wright of Derby was one of the first artist that I truly took time to study, and he quickly become one of my favorites. Everything about the way he painted the Enlightenment made him stand out in a more unique way. Not only did he paint about the Enlightenment like most artists of his time, but he did not always portray it in a positive way. In most of his paintings, there are two light sources: Religion and Knowledge. In between the two light sources is darkness which seems to compress the light of knowledge while allowing the light from nature/religion to flow freely through it.

When observing his painting The Iron Forge, it can be seen that the new knowledge of his time produces a glow that is beginning to overpower the second light source in the painting, the moon. The moon is what symbolizes religion, through nature. It represents the idea of God creating the earth for what it is and how it is. But without saying that that statement is false, it shows that the effect that technology and knowledge have on society is proving to be the more reasonable way of thinking as people start to realize: “Hey, that sounds like it makes more sense!”

Technological Effects on Society
Curated by Austin Krause

Van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885

Technological Effects on Society
Curated by Austin Krause

Joseph Wright, An Experiment with an Air Pump, 1768

Pomiculture

Michelangelo Caravaggio, Bacchus, 1595

On this final edition of Pomiculture we return to the 16th century for a taste of some sweet decadence. This
time, it's Michelangelo Caravaggio's Bacchus.  Bacchus was the god of wine, but was also known for his madness and ecstasy. Caravaggio's portrayal of Bacchus is more reminiscent of a drunk youth than a god. The entire painting oozes with decadence, from the posture of Bacchus, his facial expression, his offering of wine to the viewer, and his adornment in fruit.

Bacchus' fruit has become the topic of conversation for many art critics. In this particular painting Caravaggio made the fruit appear a bit unappetizing. The peaches look brown and moldy, the apples are under ripened, and the grapes are a pale brown. Some have speculated that Caravaggio was trying to represent the ephemeral nature of worldly things. It's an interesting use of fruit and stands out among this collection.

Henri Latour, Still Life with Flowers and Fruit, 1866

Pomiculture returns with a work by the French artist Henri Latour. Latour was best known for his realistic paintings of still lifes and flowers. Despite his contact with impressionist painters such as Whistler and Manet, he maintained his conservative style throughout his career.

I selected this work because it exemplifies the simplicity with which fruit can be painted and yet display beauty and elegance. The fruit looks particularly lush in this one, featuring pears, yellow peppers, apples and a pomegranate. The basket of fruit is accompanied by a pleasant vase of flowers. I'm still looking for the other half of that pear, though.

Eduoard Manet, The Lemon, 1880

Welcome back to Pomiculture. This time we feature a work from a highly famous and respected artist, Edouard Manet. His 1880 work The Lemon represents an impressionist take on the illustration of fruit. Manet painted The Lemon near the end of his life, perhaps looking for a simpler subject to settle down with.

Andrew Dasburg, Autumn Fruit, 1934

This time we pay homage Andrew Dasburg, an influential artists of his era but somehow lost through the passage of time. Luckily, Pomiculture forgets no artistic pioneer of the ripened ovary persuasion. His 1934 Autumn Fruit makes use of fruit as a device for self expression of personal issues. In this instance, the symbolism is clear. The lone fruit residing directly outside a plate full of other fruit evokes personal feelings of loneliness and inability to fit in. The lonely fruit in question does not appear to be too physically different from any of the others, the difference lies on the inside. Pomiculture is soul. Pomiculture is life.

Curated by Paul Vedros

Paul Gauguin, Still Life with Fruit, 1888

Welcome back to Pomiculture, fellow frugivores! Comparing Paul Gauguin's Still Life with Fruit with Music and Fruit, reveals the many possible creative uses artists are capable of when depicting fruit in their paintings. Paul Gauguin was noted for the paintings depicting his travels to various Caribbean islands. These escapes from European life contributed to his disillusion of consumer culture, which influenced this painting. Gauguin uses fruit to convey excessive wealth in Europe compared to the islands, which is reinforced by the presence of a teapot and onlooking girl. Gauguin essentially used fruit to express his views on global economic inequality. That's the power of Pomiculture.

Jean Chardin, Music and Fruit, 1732

Music and Fruit marks the first stop in this exhibition of Pomiculture. Many artists have historically included fruit in their works to convey ideas such as self expression, sexuality, and decadence. In this instance, the basket of fruit takes a side role, adding a texture to the main focus of the work. Chardin attempts to illustrate the vast opportunities for creativity and inspiration inherent in every instrument. The instruments are laid out, as if waiting to be picked up and used to their potential by the right hands. The basket of fruit resides silently to the left, as if watching in anticipation. The subtly of the fruit in this image makes it ideal as the introduction to the exhibition of Pomiculture.